Understanding Motivations to Donate Blood: Incentives and Reputations
Final Report Abstract
This project investigated how extrinsic and social image concerns shape prosocial behavior, with a particular focus on blood donation. Through large-scale field experiments in collaboration with AVIS Toscana and the regional health service of Tuscany, as well as a pioneering online experiment at the University of Bonn, we examined the mechanisms by which social image concerns influence individuals’ decisions to act altruistically. The research tested and estimated models of social signaling, revealing when and why reputational incentives can motivate or backfire. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project expanded to explore social image concerns in mental health, studying how perceived stigma affects the demand for therapy among individuals with depression. Across these domains, the findings provide actionable insights for designing more effective public health interventions.
Publications
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Does positive feedback of social impact motivate prosocial behavior? A field experiment with blood donors. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 175, 1-8.
Goette, Lorenz & Tripodi, Egon
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Social Influence in Prosocial Behavior: Evidence from a Large-Scale Experiment. Journal of the European Economic Association, 19(4), 2373-2398.
Goette, Lorenz & Tripodi, Egon
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The limits of social recognition: Experimental evidence from blood donors. Journal of Public Economics, 231, 105069.
Goette, Lorenz & Tripodi, Egon
